Bolivia
CHIWIÑA – Bolivia
Women small business owners in Bolivia are talented and resourceful. And the recent interruption in international tourism (because of COVID) revealed how important digital marketing skills are for showing the world our Bolivian creativity and commitment to quality.
For people living in rural Bolivia, marketing and online skills are no longer “nice to have.” They are now critical to maintaining and growing a business. We are working with a group of 24 female small business owners to offer communication audits, marketing message planning, and social media/digital training.
Greece
FINDING REFUGE – Greece
How can someone work on their asylum case, find a job, learn a language, and gain important skills if they don’t have a roof over their head? The homelessness of refugees in Athens is a systemic issue. Government housing is crowded– wait times for obtaining housing ranged anywhere from 3-4 months. And the bureaucracy around obtaining the proper paperwork like a tax ID number to be able to rent an apartment is nearly impossible.
In just the last year, Finding Refuge has housed 106 people in 35 different accommodations from anywhere between one and nine months. Now with Duniya House, we are providing safe shelter to about 40 people.
Guatemala
ASOGEN – Guatemala
We have cared for more than 2,600 women survivors of violence in Guatemala in the last 9 years. And we’ve trained more than 20,000 thousand people (including men, women, youth and adolescents) on their sexual and reproductive rights–and the prevention of violence.
Guatemala is one of the 6 countries considered most dangerous in the world for women to live. During 2020, around 74,000 complaints were registered—complaints that related to crimes of violence against children and women in our country.
As a non-profit, we provide psychological care, social, medical and legal support to these adolescent girls and women.
Guatemala
JASS – Guatemala
We are very proud of the contribution we have made to strengthen the leadership and collective power of women in Guatemala–and throughout the Mesoamerican region.
Women in Guatemala make up more than 50% of the population. At least half of the Guatemalan population is of Mayan (indigenous) origin and the majority are under 30.
Increasingly, indigenous and rural women have been assuming leadership roles in their communities and in processes of seeking justice. If we achieve that women strengthen their knowledge and value it, strengthen their leadership and their power to transform in their homes and in their communities—we believe we will be making a fundamental contribution to the whole of society.
Guatemala
MAIA IMPACT SCHOOL – Guatemala
A direct grant puts resources into the hands of a bold, powerful team of indigenous Mayan women who themselves are pioneers. Each girl and her family are truly blazing a new trail.
We are reversing the idea that these indigenous Mayan girls are “destined” to lives of early marriage and motherhood where their talents remain undiscovered. We are tired of this population being perceived as the problem. We know that, in fact, these girls are the solution.
Guatemala
SERES – Guatemala
We are at a crucial moment in history in Guatemala, and the next generation whose coming of age is marked by such unprecedented change and wicked global problems–have a decisive role to play.
We focus on youth from marginalized urban and rural communities: indigenous, with potential risk to migrate, working instead of studying to support their families—those at greater risk of violence and gangs, and lacking opportunities for development.
We believe in unleashing their leadership to create a movement of local leaders, We want to see leaders with a deep understanding of their needs and a transformational vision for change. Because there is no one better to transform the communities that the people that make them.
Guatemala
WINGS – Guatemala
For us, what it really comes down to is that we believe in the power of reproductive autonomy. Imagine being a parent in Guatemala and having to ask: What will I feed my children today when we have no food? How will I decide which of my children will not go hungry today?
By giving individuals the knowledge and tools to prevent unintended pregnancies, we provide life-changing strategies in a country where the burden of pregnancy looms large, especially for poor women, indigenous women, and young women.
And while we certainly provide education and contraceptives to men, the majority of our patients are women. We feel a responsibility to respond to their needs as they often struggle to simply take care of themselves and their families.
Guatemala
WOMENS JUSTICE INITIATIVE – Guatemala
The need for WJI’s services remains huge in rural, indigenous communities, where violence against women and girls is often tolerated–and legal services are inaccessible. Since 2011, WJI has worked with over 19,000 women and supported 1,700 legal cases in Guatemala.
To give you some context, Guatemala experiences some of the highest levels of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and impunity in the world. In 99% of cases in which a woman faces violence, no legal action is taken against the perpetrator.
WJI is the only organization in Guatemala that provides mobile, Kaqchikel-language legal services directly to women in rural communities.By literally meeting women where they are and speaking their native language, WJI is a trailblazer in breaking down barriers to justice.
Indonesia
AMAN – Indonesia
In Indonesia, the conservative and radical groups tend to dominate Islamic teaching. They also dominate women’s issues–early marriage, niqab, polygamy and the definition of a wife’s obligations. However, women Ulama (religious leaders) offer a well-documented Islamic perspective that promotes gender equality and women empowerment.
Discrimination of women (and gender bias) are also shaped by a strong influence of the media, particularly social media and technology. Still, we believe that women are the key to conflict transformation.
And through capacity building and access to information technology (and social media), women can promote a peaceful Islam, gender justice, and women’s rights to a global audience.
Indonesia
PURPLE CODE COLLECTIVE – Indonesia
We have created a safe and brave space for girls, women, and non-binary persons to gather to have access to one of-a-kind Internet technology trainings, as well as a nurturing community in Jakarta. We empower young girls and women to tackle online, gender-based violence and gender misinformation. We provide the skills and confidence needed to speak freely and safely online (and in real life).
When we started Purple Code, we would get calls about online, gender-based violence (OGBV) asking what to do to stop it. These calls would come from law enforcement (or victims themselves) and they would happen 3-4 times a month. Now we are getting 3-4 calls a day, and we are now helping the government of Indonesia establish an official policy on OGBV. We are now official liaisons between victims, policy makers, and law enforcement.
Kenya
PAAMOJA INITIATIVE – Kenya
No one really seems to care about the adolescents and their needs¬–but we do. We see an urgent need to educate & sensitize Mathare’s teens on the issues affecting them (like sex and relationships) and how early decisions can affect everything in life.
Mathare is Kenya’s second largest slum. Around 500,000 inhabitants cram into tiny shacks in Mathare, a hilly area that is less than one square mile.
Since 2013, we have equipped Mathare’s young people with information many parents don’t want to talk about it. We give them life skills, and most importantly, the opportunity to design and lead programs to give back to their community. We believe that every individual can be a leader, and that in the process of becoming one, everybody must follow and learn.
Laos
CLICK – Laos
Small farmers in Laos need up-to-date information on markets, tools, and best practices, so we coordinate 5,000 farmers in 10 provinces to come together and share. We are also proud to say we are one of the few tech-based, Lao-language based agriculture initiatives in the country.
Our work focuses on technology to make access to vital information possible for small holder farmers throughout Laos. We run two knowledge repositories/discussion boards (lao44.org and laofab.org) and their corresponding Facebook sites. We also have over 300 publicly available videos on topics like pesticides, breeding techniques, new uses for crops (e.g. turmeric), government regulations/policies.
More than 1500 people visit our sites every day. Our websites are popular among students, government officers, and civil society organizations.
Nepal
PHAPLU MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB – Nepal
Our village is perched in the shadows of Mt. Everest. We rely heavily on tourism where almost one person from every household works in the travel industry as a guide, porter, or housekeeper.
As you can imagine, the recent COVID crisis crushed the economy of our village. But the most upsetting side effect is that our young people have been leaving school to work construction in Katmandu—and therefore stopping their education.
While our region is a popular trekking spot, the Himalayas are also regarded as having some of the best natural single tracks for mountain biking in the world. But our fast-flowing trails and grand downhills are known only to a handful of dedicated bikers.
Peru
30M WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT – Peru
In Peru, societal expectations and stereotypes get in theway of female entrepreneurs stepping into business with confidence. According to studies, women have less belief in their abilities. And they see themselves as less prepared and less skilled for the business world.
We want to change these things.
We are empowering 30 women (30M-mujeres) entrepreneurs in the city of Cusco by giving them the theoretical knowledge and practical business tools they need. We want to instill in these women a confidence to continue working on their businesses and improving them.
South Africa
AFRICA SOLIDARITY FUND – South Africa
Africa’s natural resources power the world’s economy, but the legacy of colonialism and its extractive models still ravages our continent. Climate change also looms large and is predicted to continue affecting how our people are nourished and our overall water supply.
We are ripe for more sustainable models. And we see an opportunity. Africa has a rich tradition of activism. And with 60% of our population under 25, we see an opportunity to support an emerging group of community leaders.
Sri Lanka
EZHUVAAL – Sri Lanka
We work with Sri Lankan girls and young women who carry the unique burden of a society who has lived through 30 years of war. In addition to having to think of sexual violence, poverty, and loss of their homes as a “normal thing,” women and girls must overcome society’s low expectations for their gender.
Sri Lankan women are expected to get married, follow traditional occupations, and not be too ambitious or confident in their educational goals. We are working to shift that trajectory.
Thailand
BEAM – Thailand
There are over 200,000 migrant kids out of school in Thailand, but we know that solving this problem requires work beyond education reform. Their families are among the country’s 3 million migrants from Myanmar, where decades of civil war and military rule have made it difficult for people to survive.
Our broad vision means we are at the intersection of education, policy change, social enterprise, and community development. You can find us teaching a college prep program for migrant teenagers in northern Thailand. Or running a livelihoods training in a remote village in Myanmar. Or fighting policy battles in parliament so that migrant children have access to education wherever they go.
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